The Hunger Games AU
by AshaJayPowell
Summary: Peeta and Katniss are out with their children when Gale attacks them with a mysterious device. Peeta presses the device and finds himself back to the day of the reaping of the 74th annual hunger games, except this year Madge Undersee volunteers instead of Katniss.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter one

"Daddy, are you okay?" I hear my daughter; Lillian, ask me. I smile and nod at her. Katniss decided to take our son down to the lake while I waited her with Lillian. Finnick, our son is called, after the man himself, Finnick Odair. I've got to be careful though, not to think too much about any of it or I'll get flashbacks and Lillian hates it when that happens. She described it as if I'm not there anymore, I'm a vacant earthquake. I have no idea where she got the words on; she's not once experienced an earthquake. I can see Katniss in the distance now with Finnick running ahead of her towards us. She looks anxious. Katniss looks behind her and then she starts to run as well. I haven't seen that look in her face since we were in the games together. "Daddy, why is Mummy and Finnick running?" Lillian asks me.

"I have no idea." I reply, "It's probably just a game, why don't you join in with Finnick." I smile. Finnick doesn't even stop when he gets to us, he continues to run. Lillian looks at me for reassurance and then follows Finnick. I wait for Katniss to meet me, and then we both take off after the kids together. "What's going on?" I ask.

"There was a spear thrown. The kind I'm used to seeing in Rue's stomach. Finnick was playing in the lake while I sat and watched and all of a sudden one of the fish in the lake had been speared to the side of the bank by a spear thrown from a figure in the distance." There was no way after what she just told me that I couldn't think of the games, but I did my best not to lose control of myself in flashbacks.

"Where's Finnick running to?"

"His hiding place, Lillian's one is near his as well."

"And where are we going?" I ask in confusion. When Katniss is like this I know it's serious.

"We're running to our secret stash of weapons. So I can get my bow and arrows and you get whatever you want."

"You know we won't make it there and both of us get weapons. I'll hold whoever it is off while you get your bow and arrows; by the way, I love you." She smiles back at me.

"I love you." I kiss her forehead. We keep running, her slightly faster than I. Once we get near to where her bow is hidden I turn around. I hear her shout good luck to me but I just wish her to hurry as fast she can. I'm stood still for about five minutes before I see a figure start to emerge and Katniss was right, they do have a spear. The closer they get the clearer I start to recognize them. He's male, with dark hair. Quite tall, seam grey eyes. Gale. I start to smile and walk towards him, but even though I see that he recognizes me, his hard look doesn't change. He starts to speed up lifting his spear and I realize that he isn't here for a catch up. After all the training I did for both Hunger Game's the whole aspect of fighting becomes a lot easier for me. I dodge his first attempt and try to stall his attacks. "Gale! It's me! Peeta. Why don't we talk about this?" I shout while trying to steady the spear but he breaks my grip and tries to pierce my stomach. I dodge the spear and yank it out of his hands. That gets his attention. "What are you doing?" I shout at him.

"You stole Katniss from me." He murmurs back. He pulls out a knife from his trouser pocket and throws it towards me. It lands in my shoulder.

"Peeta!" I hear Katniss' voice but I seem to have fallen to the ground due to the knife in my shoulder. I sit up as quickly as I can without causing too much pain. I pull the knife out of my shoulder and keep my hand pressed on it to stop bleeding. Katniss fires an arrow at Gale, but I don't think she realizes that it's him yet; he dodges the arrow and immediately throws a knife back which lands in her gut. She instantly falls to the ground. Gale runs to her realizing what he's done. I get up as quickly as my shoulder wound will let me. He's crying over her now as I walk up to her, still clenching my shoulder.

"She's dead." Gale's expression is completely emotionless. Before I have a chance to say anything, Gales gets up and leaves. I sit by Katniss' body. I cry. Once I get back up, I look for a place I can leave her, so that she'll be peaceful. As I look round I see a little device on the floor. I pick it up and it vibrates. I press a button on the side and the vibrating stops, but then it starts to beep a noise. A light projects out towards me and then all of a sudden everything's a blur.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter two

"Peeta, its time to get up, wouldn't want to miss the reaping." My brother wakes me up.

"Okay, I'm up." I reply. "Wait, what reaping? They stopped those years ago." I respond but then all of a sudden it hits me. My brother died in the bombings in district twelve all those years ago as well. I look around sharply to find myself back in my shared bedroom with my brother above the bakery in district twelve.

"Don't be daft Peeta, that's just wishful thinking." My brother tries to force a laugh but no one could laugh on a reaping day. I decide to roll with it. This all must be some kind of simulation! But how would **anyone **know what my bedroom looks like, or be able to re-create my brother to this level of accuracy.

"Yeah, just me having delusions for a moment there." I try to show a convincing smile. I get dressed into my reaping day clothes and walk down stairs. This day is different to the last time I re-lived this. The last time I went through a normal reaping. Before Katniss and I were picked to be part of the games. I feel young again. It's been at least ten years since this day. I'm up slightly later than I was last time. I'm not as nervous this time either; I know that I'll be picked with Katniss and that we'll both be crowned victors. When I walk down the stairs my whole family is there waiting for me. We all walk in silence down to where the reaping is being held, at the town square. As I check in I catch glimpse of Katniss holding little Primrose's hand. Seeing the two of them together gives me the shivers. So many people that I know to be dead are in my presence. Everything is the same but a little bit different. Once everyone has settled down into the divided sections Effie Trinket walks onto the stage with her ridiculous outfit and pink hair only today Haymitch and the Mayor are already sat in their seats. I don't focus on Effie as she talks; I'm more focused on Haymitch's grin but then Effie says something that gets my attention.

"Now today, we're going to let the boys go first." She smiles and walks over to the bowl that has my name in it. I get ready to walk myself out onto the stage. "Peeta Mellark." I don't even bother to act surprised. I walk up to claim my place in the games with dignity rather than fear this time. She welcomes me to the stage and shakes my hand. "So Peeta are you afraid of being in the games this year after seeing all the other reaping's before yours?" Now this is a question I wasn't asked in the last reaping.

"I'd be a fool not to be afraid." I try to sound as convincing as I can. She smiles.

"Ladies and Gentleman, give our newest tribute a round of applause. Peeta Mellark." She says. The crowd half-heartedly claps for me. I know not to expect the same kind of salute that Katniss got, she's was something special. Effie walks over to the girl's bowl of names now. I already know the name that she's going to call out.

"Primrose Everdeen." I see the small girl start to walk out from the crowd and just as I expect to hear Katniss' shouts someone else volunteers.

"I volunteer." is said in a very dead expression from a small blonde girl around my age. Primrose looks at her, with a sad but thankful expression. The girl gives Primrose a hug as she passes her on the way to the stage.

"Well, we have our very first volunteer from district twelve." Effie says in a cheerful tone. "What's your name?" She asks with a smile.

"Madge Undersee." I look back at the mayor whose face was stone hard. Once her name had been heard the whole crowd gasped.

"Oh so you're the mayors daughter." She smiles at her again. Madge just nods. "And why did you volunteer?" Madge looks down at her feet.

"Primrose is only twelve years old, I know her whole family, and although I'm sure her older sister will have volunteered for her, if Katniss wasn't there for her family, they'd have a hard time so I volunteered."

"That is very noble of you." Effie says. "Let's have a cheer, for this year's tributes from district twelve!" The claps are full of 'good luck' shouts as me and Madge shake hands and then walk off into the justice building.


	3. Chapter 3

My family comes to see me, as they did previously. We all have our goodbyes. My mother actually tries to hug me this time. She whispers in my ear.

"Listen son, I know you don't have a chance at getting out alive, but if you have a chance to save that young girl, I would like you to." She says and walks out with my brother and father following. Next in to the room was Mayor Undersee. He stands within the room awkwardly but tries to smile with me when he can.

"If you're here to try and convince me not to kill your daughter, I wasn't going to kill her anyway. I'm not planning on killing anyone unless I have to." I state. After all last time I was completely committed to saving Katniss whereas now, I'm never going to meet her. He shakes my hand and then walks back out of the door with his face in terror. The last person to come into my room is Katniss. She of all people is the last person I'd expect to come and see me.

"Hi." She says with a sad smile. I return her expression. She runs up to me and gives me a hug. I hug her back gladly. "Thank you." She says. I look at her confused.

"What for?" I ask.

"For feeding me that one time."

"I'm pretty sure that didn't help you that much." I reply.

"If you hadn't of given me that bread that day, I wouldn't have been able to feed my family, we all would have died. So thank you. And although I'm friends with Madge, I do hope you win." She says. Katniss gives me a kiss on the cheek and then walks back out of the door. It suddenly dawns on me that I'm not going to survive the 74th annual hunger games for a second time. After the goodbyes we're rushed out to get into the car that will take us to the train. Haymitch will be there.

Madge smiles at me as we get in the car. We stay silent on the way to the train and stand while they take our picture and try to interview us, but neither I nor Madge say anything. Madge has obviously been crying. She's trying to stop herself from crying in front of all the reporters. She clearly doesn't know much about strategy when it comes to the hunger games. Once we're on the train we go into the room where all the food is and we both stand not knowing where to put ourselves. We look at each other and both just give each other a hug.

"Oh Peeta! We'll be okay wont we." I hear Madge say.

"I guess, until one or both of us are killed." I try not to sound too harsh when I speak. "Wait…" I say breaking away from our hug. "I've got to find Haymitch!" I say and before Madge has time to answer I run out of the carriage and straight into the one with all the liquor. Haymitch is already there.

"What the hell did you do Peeta?" He says.

"Wait, you remember?" How can he possibly remember everything that never happened? I was starting to think it was all a little dream that I had.

"Of course I remember. Two victors, mocking-jay rebellion, quarter-quell. I remember all of it. Now what the hell happened?"

"Well Katniss and I were out with Lillian and Finnick and Gale turned up throwing spears at us. He got a knife in my shoulder and then he killed Katniss. This device fell out of his pocket; all I did was press a button and I woke up at the day of the reaping in my old bedroom with everyone who I know to be dead." He shakes his head. "Do you have any idea what could've happened?"

"Gale must have had some technology given to him by someone from district three. Maybe he thought he could change Katniss' mind on who she chose or something. But he will have needed Katniss to change time and killing her wasn't exactly the thing he meant to do. I don't know how it could've changed it so that we're here."

"If I changed it, how can you remember?" I ask.

"I don't know, do you still have the device?" He puts out his hand while taking a gulp from his usual red liquor.

"No, when I woke up back in the bakery it was nowhere to be seen."

"Right you need to listen to me. Without Katniss I'm not sure how you're going to survive the games. She gave you your love sick angle; she gave you a reason to get in with the careers. She saved your life. We have to really focus on how we're going to get you out alive so that you can reverse what happened."

"Haymitch, if I reverse it, Katniss will go back to being dead." I say with dread.

"Yes, but you might die instead."

"You chose her last time around. Do it again." I say.

"We need to talk strategy. We could pretend that you're in love with Madge?"

"Why would we do that?!" I say.

"That way you could still get the star crossed lover thing that you had going on. Plus you did hug her before the train left the station. All the cameras took a photo." He nods disapprovingly. Just then Madge runs into the liquor carriage.

"Peeta! Have you seen what's on T.V? They're saying that we're in love because they saw us hug!" She sounds worried.

"Hi Madge, nice to meet you." Haymitch gets up. "I think the whole in love thing could work for us. Give you guys an angle that has never been considered before." He smiles. I storm out of the carriage and into my old room on the train. I miss Katniss. She'll probably be with Gale hunting right now. I wonder if Gale remembers everything that happened. I forgot to look for him at the reaping. I decide to take a shower to get my mind of things. I stay in my room for the rest of that day and then go to sleep when night comes. Effie's knocking wakes me up the next day.

"C'mon Peeta. Breakfast is ready." She says as cheerful as ever.

"Effie! Can you **please **stop being so cheerful. It's not a cheerful situation." I say as I storm past her. Haymitch is already in the dining cart. He's sat on the table. "You're actually sober? You don't have a hangover?" I asked with sarcasm. I clap him as I sit down with some hot chocolate and biscuits. Madge walks in shortly after me, and sits down exactly where Katniss sat last time.

"Now, do you guys have any skills?" He asks seriously. Madge looks at me and I encourage her to say something.

"I can play piano?" She says. Haymitch looks down at his cup with a sad expression.

"He means any skills that could help you in the arena." I smile at her.

"No, not really." She says. He looks disapprovingly.

"What about you Peeta?" I smirk as he asks me but I change my expression as soon as Madge looks at me.

"Well umm, I can wrestle a little, and I'm pretty strong. I'm alright at tying knots, and cooking." He nods.

"Good. When we get to the Capitol you're going to be taken to your stylists. Don't resist from whatever they want to do to you." He says and walks back out of the cart taking his cup with him.

"Oh Peeta, what am I going to do? I'm as good as dead in those games."

"You didn't know what you had signed up for did you?" I say with a face of despair.

"I think about how I'm struggling, but then I think how the hell would have little Primrose been able to do anything."

"But then again, Katniss would have taken her place. She would've been amazing at this don't you think?" I try to say with some confidence.

"I know how you feel about her." She says, this catches me by surprise. "The way you look at her. I see you looking at her on her way home to make sure she gets there. That's why I told her to go and see you to say goodbye. I know it would have meant a lot to you." She smiles again.

"That was your idea?"

"I know about you feeding her. When I told her to go and see you she said she was going to anyway and her reason was because you fed her." This does make my stomach warm. "If either of us have a chance of winning, I want it to be you. So you can win her over when you get back home. And if we have to pretend to be lovers in order for you to get home then so be it." She says and grabs my hand. Maybe this could work.

"I promised your father I wouldn't kill you."

"You won't have too. I'm sure someone else will." This makes me sad but she's right. I spend the rest of my time in my room remembering how I survived my previous two games but then my mind wanders to when I was hijacked and tortured. How horribly I thought of Katniss. It's like a dream to me now though. Now that I'm back before I ever went to the games, I feel the exact same way I felt about Katniss before I went in. Except this time I won't be going in with her. I go out to the dining carriage when I get hungry but other than that I try to stay in my room for the whole journey.


	4. Chapter 4

AN: WOW thankyou everyone for reviews and follows! everything's appreciated!

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When we reach the capitol it hasn't changed much at all. I stand at the window staring out at the crowd. I try to smile and wave as much as I can. Madge comes to my side and grabs my hand. We're rushed straight to our prep team. I already remember mine. Kitty, Marco and Sparks and then my stylist Portia. I sit in the room while I wait for the threesome to come in. Once they do, they examine me and get straight down to work, bathing me in loads of different oils. Once they're done they leave and I'm left waiting for Portia to come in. To my surprise someone completely different decides to show up.

"Hello Peeta." She smiles. "My name is Pearl and I will be your stylist for your duration of the games." Pearl has a pearl necklace around her neck, and then bright blue hair with blue leopard print tattoos all down her arms. I have no idea what a leopard has to do with a pearl.

"I thought I'd be having Portia as my stylist this year?" I ask with confusion. She just laughs.

"Portia? Ha-ha, Portia was admitted insane and was forced to resign from her job as stylist here." She says and then gets to work. "Drop your robe please." She smiles. She does exactly what Portia did. She talks to me about how I'll need to make an impression at the opening ceremony. Before she continues talking about what she will be doing to me I burst,

"What about Cinna?"

"Cinna is styling district eleven's female tribute this year. He asked for district twelve but someone had already been hired for district twelve this year." She smiles.

"He'll be styling Rue." A shiver runs through me as I think of that little girl but then we get back to work. "I want to do something different this year. The whole coal miner thing is very overdone. Our other stylist Eros and I have decided to try something a little different." She smiles.

"Let me guess, you're going to set fire to us." I say dimly.

"No, but that would be a good idea. You'll be topless, carrying an axe and you'll be wearing black leather pants. Madge will be wearing a long black dress with a flame design and a black shimmery vale that will fall down her back to look like coal dust." I just nod at Pearl as she describes everything. Although again it will be different from previous years, it will never be as mesmerizing as Cinna's work. A few hours later I'm dressed in my costume, black leather boots, black leather trousers, and then just black simple eye liner around my eyes. I projected against the eye liner, but then I remembered Haymitch's advice and decided to just roll with it. When I'm guided into the same room as Effie and the whole of the district twelve team Madge is already there. She seems comforted by my appearance. She does look amazing. The long black dress shaped like a Grecian goddess with the flame patterns up the side of her dress. Her hair clipped back from her face and then the vale clinging to the hair and drifting down her back shimmering with every movement.

"Wow." I say to her as she hugs me.

"I'm so nervous Peeta! You look amazing!" She says in my ear. During our embrace her hands claw into my back. It takes all my concentration not to jump whenever hands touch my skin as her hands are ice cold. Shortly afterwards we are hurried down to the bottom level of the Remake Centre. There are twelve chariots with four horses for each carriage. Every chariot has a different district number on them, with ours being pulled by coal black horses. I look around to see all the different tributes from the different districts. I immediately spot Rue and Threw who's chariot is right next time ours. Rue is dressed in a cute summer green dress and Thresh like me is topless with green trousers. They both look very serious. Then I see the two tributes from district seven dressed up as trees and Foxface with the male tribute from district five both dressed in completely different outfits to one another. Then I see Clove and Cato both dressed to look supreme to the rest of the tributes and next to them are Glimmer and Marvel dressed to look like different kinds of jewels. One by one the chariots make their way out and each time a new chariot appears another roar of the crowd is heard. Madge and I both decide to get into our chariot ready.

"Good luck." She smiles at me. I grab her hand just as we go out. She looks at me. "What are you doing?"

"It'll make us remembered, trust me." I say and then there's a roar as we make our way into the view of the crowd. We aren't as magnificent as when Cinna dressed us but we still make a bigger impression than previous years. We circle the area as the music plays and the crowd roar for all twelve districts. When we finally reach the city center President Snow makes an appearance. He gives his speech. I'm pretty sure Madge has stopped the circulation in my hand by the time President Snow has stopped talking. All chariots encircle the city center and then make their way out into the training center with Madge and I being the last tributes the crowd can see. As we make our way of the chariots I see Cinna greet Rue with a hug. He looks at me with a worried look. This indicates to me that he knows that this isn't what's meant to happen. He nods his head towards the bathroom to the left of the room.

"I'll be right back." I say to Haymitch, Pearl, Madge and Eros and then make my way to the bathroom. I don't lock the door and then I wait until I see Cinna open to bathroom door, walk in and then lock it behind him.

"Now what's happened?" He asks me. "Where's Katniss?"

"Oh, about that." I smile apologetically and then describe the whole situation.

"Oh dear. Listen, you've got to win. So that after the games you can set all of this right." I try to think of how different everything was. Cinna was dead.

"But wouldn't you prefer it like this?" I look at him with confusion.

"I'd rather have died for a good cause." I smile and then leave the bathroom. Haymitch is stood waiting for me. All the other tributes, stylists and mentors have already left so Cinna decides to walk back to the elevator with us. "Listen Haymitch, I'll speak to the district eleven mentors, and if he has a chance to help either of you, I'll do everything I can to get him to do it." He smiles as we make our way up to the twelfth floor. Cinna steps out once the elevator reaches floor eleven.

"You did good today. I liked your hand holding thing again." Haymitch laughs at me.

"It felt weird doing an opening ceremony without her." I admit.

"Does she remember anything?" He looks at me.

"Not that I know of, she came to say goodbye to me at the reaping but all she mentioned was about how I fed her once."

"We'll explain to her or something when you make it out of these games, and I want you to team up with someone this year. I personally think Thresh or Foxface." I look at him.

"What about Madge or Rue?" he frowns.

"I knew you'd want to team up with them!" He laughs as the elevator reaches the top level. As we walk in Haymitch makes his way to eat some food whereas I skip it and just go to my room. I pass Katniss' room on the way to mine but as I look in I see Madge. I quickly try to avoid speaking to her and rush to my room. I go straight to sleep when I get to my room.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter three

I'm back in district twelve, on my way to school. I Just as I'm turning the final corner to get to school I see Katniss and Gale holding hands. He caresses her face and kisses her.

"It's time for training Peeta!" I hear Haymitch banging my door. I snap out of my nightmare, I get dressed into the clothes that Pearl has left out for me; no doubt that Madge will have the same outfit. I get my breakfast then head straight to the elevator. Haymitch, Effie and Madge appear shortly after.

"I did tell you he would already be here." I hear Haymitch murmuring to Effie smugly. Madge smirks at the bickering pair and joins my side.

"Trust me, training isn't that bad." I whisper to her.

"And how would you know?" she asks teasingly.

"Let's just say, I have a pretty good idea." I smile to myself. Effie starts to mess with my hair a little, placing it. Haymitch objects to her and suggests she gets a move on or we'll be late. We make our way down to the training center but even though we're right on time, again we're the last ones there again.

"Did Haymitch give you the plan?" She asks.

"It depends on what the plan is, he said to not show off any talents that we might have and spend the training sessions learning new things. Save your true talents for the game makers." She looks at him.

"No, the whole in love thing." I try to show no flicker of emotion although this really does annoy me. "I know how you feel about Katniss, so don't worry, I won't think it's real. I promise but he said that us being in love will freak out the competition." She tries to convince me.

"Okay," I say, I grab her hand and then we walk into the training center leaving Effie in the elevator. The same women, Atala is already talking when we get there though. She explains the rules. Madge doesn't let go of my hand once throughout the whole speech. Cato and Clove notice us both and smirk. Rue looks at us and smiles while we get three or four other tributes giving us evil looks. Once Atala has finished talking Madge drags me over to archery which is something I never thought I would have a go at. After the getting close to Katniss, archery had to be one thing I would never have needed ever. Whereas now, in this other world we're not even friends so archery seems good. We both pick up a bow and try to shoot some arrows. I'm not too bad at it. Shooting just off center each time, whereas Madge can only just manage to get the arrow to reach the target. Within that training day, we spent some time at fire making, camouflage and spears. We then went to lunch and at first we sat on our own. We sat at first to wait for most of the tributes to get they're food and once the queue had gone down Madge and I decided to go up. Madge was in front of me, but then behind me was little Rue. I decide to get the last piece in bread but then as I reach for it I hear Rue sigh, so I decide to turn around and put it on her plate.

"Thank you." She smiles.

"It's okay," I return. "Your Rue right?" I ask.

"Yeah and your Peeta from twelve?" I nod.

"Would you like to sit with me and Madge?" She seems pleased that I ask.

"I'd love to." She smiles so once we finish getting our food she follows Madge and I to our table. We all analyze the competition and who we think will win.

"I think either Thresh or Cato will win." Madge says under her breath.

"I thought Marvel would be pretty good." I don't say anything while they talk about this because I'm actually planning on winning.

"Well whoever wins, I know the careers will have the upper hand from the start." Both Madge and Rue look at me with confusion.

"What are careers?"

"Y'know, districts 1, 2 and 4, they're known as careers because they are trained before the games and then they volunteer." They both seem as if they've learnt something new. I just laugh at them.

"Who do you think will go first?" Rue asks.

"I don't think I'll last five minutes, probably get killed in the first five minutes of fight." She tries to force a laugh at herself.

"I don't believe that any of us will die in the blood bath at the beginning. Listen I have a plan. Why don't us three, and maybe one other person team up? It'll increase our chances of winning and then when it gets closer we can split up and go our separate ways?" Rue seems eager to say yes to the idea.

"Who would else would you invite?" Madge asks.

"Maybe Thresh? It might be hard though as he turned down an offer to team up with the careers." They look at me in more confusion. Wait, maybe the careers haven't asked him yet. "Why don't you ask him Rue?"

"Ask him for an alliance? Yeah okay. I'll see you both in training tomorrow." She smiles and skips out of the canteen. The next two days after that Madge and I decide to learn as much as we can within the training sessions, making sure to look as in love as we can. I remember all the techniques that I had previously learned here but I still avoid weightlifting. Madge realizes she's quite good at throwing knives, and excelled in the shelters station. In the canteen on the day before our private sessions in front of the games makers, Madge and I sit down again.

"So, do you miss Katniss?" She asks. I automatically look around in alarm in case anyone heard and guesses that our romance is fake. "Sorry." She laughs.

"Of course I do. What about you? Do you have just one guy that you like?"

"Yes. It's Gale."

"Oh, that surprised me. You know him through trades?"

"Yeah, but it's nothing compared to how you feel about Katniss. Mines a silly little crush because he's older, he's good looking, and he can hunt so he could take care of me." I laugh at her, and then she hits me and laughs. Every single tribute has their eyes on us as we have a good time. But then we are called in for our private sessions, with district twelve, as usual, going in last. All tributes are called into this corridor with enough seats for us all while they call us in one by one. I'll be the last tribute to perform in front of the games makers as usual. It suddenly dawned on me that I had no idea on what Madge was going to do for her private session.

"So what are you going to do when you get in there?" I whisper in her ear.

"Put a dummy inside a shelter and then throw some knives at it. Then probably throw some knives about trying to hit targets. What about you?" She whispers to me. It also seemed that I had no idea what I was going to do in front of the games makers.

"I don't know." I laugh. She looks at me concerned. "A cartwheel?" I laugh again which unhinges some of the concentration on the other tributes. I remember what I did in previous games, at first I took it seriously and threw some weights around, and then the second time I painted a portrait of Rue. Then it hits me. I know exactly what I'm going to do. The closer we get to our turn, the more nervous Madge looks.

"I'm not used to this kind of thing Peeta. I'm not a snob, but I've had a much easier life to people like you or Katniss or even little Primrose. I've always had enough to eat, the only time I've ever been under pressure is during a reaping or a school test. I'm not sure how I'm going to cope in these games, I should've just not volunteered." I put my finger on her lips while making a 'shhhh' noise.

"It was very brave of you to volunteer in Prim's place, if you had that amount of bravery in the reaping, I'm sure you'll be fine once we're in the games."

"Until it's my turn to die. I'm not planning on coming out Peeta. When I look at people like you, or Thresh. You're the kind of people that I want to win who actually could win. Then there are the 'careers' as you call them, who are trained, the odds are definitely in their favor." Then she's called. I grab her hand before she goes in, not for show, but for friendship.

"Good luck. Be amazing." I smile. Although it's weird not having Katniss go through this experience with me, it's a good kind of weird. Madge has a much warmer friendship for me to value rather than my love interest with Katniss. Then again, Katniss was kind of the reason I made it out of both games, even though I barely made it out of the quarter quell, being abducted and hijacked. Its fifteen minutes before I'm called to go in for my private session.

"Hello, Peeta Mellark, District twelve." I state. I look around for the things I need, some paints and a paintbrush, but I can't seem to find any kind of paper. I walk back to address the games makers who don't seem to be paying attention. "Is there any sort of paper or canvas I can use?" They look at me not knowing what to expect, one of them nods, and goes to get me some paper. Whoever it was who went to get the paper takes at least ten minutes but when he returns he's brought quite a large canvas. He also brought a stand for my canvas. I position it so that I face the games makers and they can't see what I'm painting so it will be revealed at the end. I use a mixture of paints at first. As I'm painting I talk to them a little. "The guy I paint in the painting will be me, just so you know." I smile at them. They look at me concerned with my enthusiasm and confidence. When I'm done I'm quite pleased with my work. I have painted myself sat at the cornucopia holding the orange backpack that Katniss has rescued from it at the start. I paint with all the cuts and bruises and dirt that I had acquired by the end of the games, even the big gash in my leg from Cato's sword. I paint the whole forest behind me to my left, and then the corn field that Thresh would disappear into behind me to the right with Cato lying on the floor with a bunch of mutts around him. I made sure that the mutts had the same kind of eyes as the contestants with the numbers of their districts on they're collars. I turn it around and at first only the people who actually watched me working gasp but then more and more of the games makers take notice of my painting. I bring it forward for them to have a closer look. At the top I write 'How the 74th annual hunger games will probably end. At the cornucopia in the clearing in the middle of the arena.' Seneca Crane looks at me with uncertainty. I smile at him and dismiss myself after signing my work of art. On my way out I throw my paintbrush behind me, not caring where it lands. I make my way back to the elevator where Madge is sat outside, waiting for me.

"How did it go?" She asks me eagerly.

"Pretty good I guess, you?" I ask, trying to contain my excitement.

"No one paid any attention to me, so I doubt I'll get a good score." She sighs. "What did you decide to do in the end?" She tries to keep the conversation.

"Umm, I just painted something."

"Wow you paint?" She asks with curiosity. We both wander into the elevator as I push the button with the number 'twelve' on it.

"Well sort of, I ice the cakes in the bakery, so I guess it makes me alright at painting." She smiles at me,

"That's amazing Peeta! Why didn't you tell me!"

"Didn't seem relevant I guess," I laugh. We both walk out of the elevator and go to grab something to eat. Effie and Haymitch walk in a couple of minutes after we sit down together. Then in come Eros and Pearl who bring a much more capitol vibe to the room.

"So, how'd it go?" Eros asks.

"I threw some knives around, but none of them seemed interested. Just bored really." She sighs again.

"What about you Peeta?" Pearl asks.

"I just painted a picture." I reply, Haymitch looks at me with a grin on his face then nods towards the exit up to the roof. I nod and then he makes a gesture in which to say later. I rush to finish my food and so does Haymitch.

"Peeta can I speak to you in private? It's just stuff to do with interviews." He says, I get up automatically and follow him up to the roof. We can both hear Effie shouting up after us.

"Madge needs coaching too mind!" but we both pretend not to hear her.


	6. Chapter 6

"So, what really happened?" He asks with a delightful smile.

"I painted what the arena would look like. I painted the cornucopia, just the final battle really, but I made sure I didn't include Katniss in it." He laughs excitedly.

"Oooh! Peeta you're a genius! What were they're reactions?"

"Well Seneca Crane looks a little anxious. None of them said anything to me at all. So I dismissed myself as well."

"This is great! They'll either score you really high or really low! And either way it doesn't matter. They might even think your psychic."

"Unless of course it's one of the little things that is different this time around. That would be embarrassing."

"Well yeah, there is that, but I doubt so. C'mon, we better go back down to see what they score you." He laughs and then we make our way back down. Madge, Effie and our stylists are already in front of the T.V tuned in to watch for the scores. The careers scoring around eight-ten, including Cato scoring a massive ten. Foxface comes up with a four, and little Rue with a seven, just like last time. Thresh scores eleven. Madge's face comes up with a five which isn't too bad. Then my face comes up with a magnificent twelve. Now that I did not expect. I just stare at the number flashing on the screen as other congratulate me. Madge pinches me which gets my attention.

"Well done Peeta!" She squeezes me. I return her hug.

"You too Madge!"

"Are you serious? I scored a five! That's nothing compared to a twelve! You've scored the highest in history!"

"That painting of yours must've been pretty great to score that much." I hear Eros say suspiciously. I manage to break free of everyone's congratulations and make my way to my room. I have another shower as I realize I still have green and brown paint all over my hands. Just before I take my clothes off to go into the shower an avox comes into my room. The same avox that Katniss recognized. Lavinia.

"Umm hey, Lavinia?" I manage to say. She immediately turns around looking very scared. Of course being an avox she can't speak. "No no no, don't worry. I'm not going to hurt you I just want to talk to you." I say and then I get a pen and paper for her to write replies. She writes:

'How do you know my name?'

"My friend, she knew you I think but that doesn't matter. Do you remember me?"

'No.' She replies. I nod, she puts the pen and paper down and then waits for me to give her my dirty clothes. I strip in the bathroom and hand the clothes out making sure not to reveal my naked body from behind the door. I'm in the shower for well over an hour just thinking about things. What will happen if I actually die in these games? Will everything reverse itself to the way it was? If it does its not better than this. Although there was no hunger games, everyone I care about is dead in the other world, including Katniss and I can't risk my life to find out incase I'm wrong. So I guess I just have to let this play out. I get out of the shower and just sleep in the sheet without drying or putting on any clothes. I hardly sleep a wink through the whole night knowing that the interviews are tomorrow. By the time Haymitch knocks my door I'm half asleep but knowing the interviews are tonight I resist ignoring him. I wait for him to leave from outside my door before I get up so I don't risk him seeing me naked. I quickly slip on some clothes and meet him in the sitting room.

"So, what's my angle?" we laugh teasingly. "I never thought I'd have to ask you that again."

"Madge and I have made an agreement. She wants me to get you out alive, and since that's what I was going to do anyway, I agreed. So here's the plan. Since you go out last, I'm going to make sure that Caesar Flickerman asks Madge if she has a love interest back home, and she's going to say yes, and she's going to talk about this guy that she really likes back home, and I'm also going to make sure he asks you the same question and I want you to say her. Got it?" I nod.

"I feel bad for Madge, no matter what world she's in, she always dies." Haymitch cocks his head to the side.

"I'd never really thought of it like that before." He says. Then it's my time to go do preparations with Effie.

"Can't I just skip the meeting with Effie? I already know all the stuff she's going to say."

"You can shorten it. Run through the things that you know she is going to say before she says them and then you won't have to hear her say whatever she's going to say with more detail." I smile at him and then walk to meet Effie.

"So Peeta! Today we will be working on your presentation when answering questions and how you sit." She smiles. But then I list all the important key points about interview presentation. "Oh, you already know everything. Okay then, well our session is over." She smiles at me again. I then go back to my room and manage to nap for an hour or two before my prep team wake me up. Kitty, Marco and Sparks are back. Yay.

"So Peeta, just a bath today." Marco says as he fills up a tub full of this funny looking green colored water. Once that's done I'm sent to my stylist. Pearl has my interview outfit waiting for me.

"You will be wearing a stylish shirt with nice black trousers and leather black shoes." No makeup, I think to myself. "Remember you don't even need to be amazing in the interview tonight. The crowd is already intrigued by you. The first person in history to score a twelve in training. Oh and I would like you to wear this necklace." She smiles and gives me the necklace that has a number twelve on it and then we meet the rest of the district twelve gang down by the elevator. Haymitch and Effie are already there, so is Madge with her stylist and prep team. She is dressed magnificently. A long strapless plain black dress, and the only piece of makeup she's wearing is bright red lips. Her blonde hair clipped back again but curled in ringlets. As we get to back stage, there are all seats for everyone to sit and watch the interviews. I get to go last, **again**. I listen to how funny, cute, fierce and charming everyone is before I go on. As Madge goes on I listen to her interview. She plays the shy Mayor's daughter angle, which is her down to a tee. He of course asks her about her special guy at home. And of course she starts to talk about Gale, not ever saying his name.

"I'm sure your all going to love her in the arena." Caesar say and he stands up, "Madge Undersee!" he says taking her hand and kissing it as she leaves the stage. "Next up, Peeta Mellark!" He says and then I get up and walk onto the stage. After all the interviews I did on the victory tour, or in the actual I tend to be a natural at this by now. I stay very calm throughout the whole interview. "So Peeta, that number twelve hanging around your neck isn't the only twelve that you have seemed to secure now is it?" He asks.

"I guess not. I really didn't expect such a good score." I smile at him.

"Can you tell us what you did to get such an amazing score?"

"Well as I know, it's meant to be a secret. But let's just say I painted a picture for the games makers."

"A picture?"

"Yeah, who would've thought a lousy painting would have gotten the first twelve in history aye?" We both laugh. I decide to include some of our interview from last year in.

"So what do you like about the capitol that's different to district twelve Peeta?"

"The showers are pretty different, tell me Caesar, do I smell like roses to you?" I lean in as Caesar does to sniff me,

"Why yes you do. Do I?" I smell him.

"You smell a hell of a lot better than me,"

"Well I've lived here longer." We both break into laughter as do the whole audience. Then it gets into a more serious note as Caesar leans in to ask me his next question. "So, is there a special girl at home for you Peeta?"

"I don't think so,"

"There must be a girl you like," he presses.

"Well yes, I guess there is this one girl that I've liked forever."

"So here's what you do, you win the games and when you go back to your ordinary life, she'll have to go out with you!"

"It's not quite that simple." I explain.

"Why ever not?"

"She came here with me."

"Now that is some bad luck. I'm sure the whole nation's hearts go out to you, but that is all we have time for, good luck in the games Peeta! Ladies and Gentleman, Peeta Mellark." He shouts dismissing me. I wave at the crowd as I walk off. When I get off stage I see Madge and smile at her, but she looks like she couldn't be more outraged.

"What the hell was that?!" she shouts. "The plan was I talk about Gale and you talk about Katniss!" She pushes me and then storms off in the other direction. Haymitch must've not been clear enough for her or something. I find Haymitch and we go in the elevator together.

"Madge shouted at me because of the interview, did you clearly tell her what we were doing?"

"No, I knew she wouldn't agree if I said what we were doing. Cause now it's a love triangle instead of the star crossed lovers. Whoever the boy is back home, he's got her heart, and she's got yours in return, even better ratings." He smiles. "And even better, you're going to have every sponsor in the whole of Panem lined to sponsor you, you're a clear favorite to win. When we get back to our floor we all sit and eat. Madge completely keeping to herself. I know what I've done. I've made her look like she doesn't want me, making her seem like the heartbreaker. Our stylists are at the table too. After we finish our food, we all go into the sitting room to watch to the replays of the interviews. I realize that I never actually concentrated on anyone's interviews very much. I remember what they were like from last year I guess. One interview sticks out in my mind though.

"So, Cato, who would you say your biggest competition is?" Caesar asks, already expecting one name from his lips.

"I'd have to say Peeta Mellark from district twelve. He's gotten the highest training score yet in training he didn't really show any of us anything that he is good at. He'll probably be one of the first I'll want to get rid of if I want to win the games." Right, so I'm a target. I know exactly how Katniss feels now. She was in this exact position in both games. I've now got to grasp how different it will be in the arena without her. How differently will I play my tactics. Madge looks amazing in her interview, not looking uncaring or scared once. She looks humble and shy and plays the girl who can't believe how far she's come very well. I can't help but compare her interview to Katniss' and how different it all is. Then I'm on the screen. Confessing my fake love to Madge, not knowing what damage I will do. After they hear my confession they zoom in on Madge backstage, who just looks as if she is about to cry. Her cheeks have gone bright pink and her eyes just full of water. I'm glad they didn't zoom in on her as she was getting angry, that wouldn't have given me much of a good angle. After the interviews we walk back to our rooms ready for the big day tomorrow. I manage to get some sleep, but each time I do, it's just nightmares of the quarter quell with Katniss.


	7. Chapter 7

I wake up earlier than I need too, and decide to get ready. I dress and then go and get some breakfast, Madge isn't up too late after me, and she right behind me as I walk to the dining room.

"I'm really sorry Madge. Haymitch told me that you agreed to the plan, if I had known you were unhappy with it, I wouldn't have done it." She just looks up at me with an expression difficult to read.

"Well, I guess I can't stay mad at you forever, we are allies after all." She smiles and then we sit down to eat. "So what happens now?" She asks with a frightening look on her face.

"We'll be on our way to the arena. Eros and Pearl will come with us to get us ready right before we rise into the arena. Haymitch and Effie will leave here and go straight to the games headquarters and will hopefully be signing loads of sponsors ready for us."

"How do you know so much about these games Peeta?" I consider telling her, but if I do tell her, it will cause complications. I will be telling her that she is dead in the other world, the real world if you like.

"Haymitch has told me about it all. He likes to consider Effie as an extra mentor so that he can concentrate on the boy tribute, and she concentrate on the girl." I lie to her a little. We both get up and make our way to the elevator where everyone is waiting for us. Effie, as usual, has tears in her eyes. She hugs Madge and squeezes my hand.

"Maybe I'll end up with a decent district next year." She says, she nearly made it without saying something unintentionally horrible. Haymitch looks at me with fear.

"Remember, you've got to win it to fix everything." He says with a hostile tone. I nod and then Madge, Eros, Pearl and I all watch as Effie and Haymitch get into the elevator. It's weird to think the first time around, I was completely committed to sacrificing myself to keep Katniss alive whereas now I'm going to do everything I can to make sure I win. The four of head up to the roof, where a hovercraft appears and beams us up. All the tributes including Madge and I are sat opposite each other in the hovercraft while they inject the trackers in our arms. Wouldn't want to misplace any of us. Now **that **wouldn't be very good television. The ride lasts about half an hour, and when we get to the arena Pearl and I go on a ladder that drops into a tunnel which takes us below the arena. We're directed to what will be my launch room, Madge will know it better as the stockyard. Our district nicknamed it that because a stockyard is where animals go before butchery. I'll be the only tribute to ever use this chamber. After its used for the games, it becomes a public attraction. People from the capitol can come and take part in re-enactments or see what it's like inside the chamber. Pearl turns up with a costume for me.

"I had no control on what you would be wearing. All tributes have to wear the same for the games." She pulls out an outfit that is identical to the outfit I first wore in the games. "So Peeta, what's your plan?"

"What do you mean?"

"Are you going to get involved in the big fight at the start for supplies or are you going to avoid it and run straight into the forest?" She asks.

"I have allies, we all have a different task to do." I say and then I remind myself of when Rue, Madge and I were all sat eating in the canteen after training. "Madge, you're the fastest, so if you get a backpack with some food in it, I'll try and pick up a knife, and Rue you also get another backpack. There will be mockingjays in the arena. We will all go the far right behind the podiums and then if we can't find each other, we will whistle and let the mockingjays carry the melody." I had said and then Rue whistled the melody we will all use through the games.

"And who are your allies?" Pearl asks bringing me back to the present.

"Rue and Madge."

"And if the three of you are still alive at the end? You won't be able to kill them well you?" She asks already knowing the answer. I just shake my head. "Considering your about to walk to your possible death, you seem very calm. You're the first tribute I've seen be calm before they go into the arena, normally a tribute is both cocky and full of arrogance or very nervous. You're neither." She says and then all of a sudden a women's voice is coming out of the speakers telling us that they're ready to launch. I walk up to the glass cylinder, wait for it to fully lower around me and then smile at Pearl. She's no Cinna, but then again, neither was Portia. I hold a strong stance as the cylinder lifts me up into the arena. Once I can finally see the arena, a shiver goes down my spine. The whole arena is exactly how I remember it. Right down to the smell. I look over to where Katniss would've been automatically, almost forgetting that this is a different games. That other games never happened. Stood in Katniss' place is Madge, she's trembling. She looks at me shaking her head. I hold me thumbs up to her and give her a reassuring smile. Then I mime to her 'remember the plan' she gets the message and then all of a sudden, completely focuses on the scattered treasures around to cornucopia. I then search for Rue who is also looking very scared and timid. I spot the weapon I will compete for. A belt containing three knives about twenty meters away from me. I'm not the fastest but if I can get the knives I can defend myself on my way out of the bloodbath. I get ready to run. Then the signal sounds and I instantly react to it springing myself forward for the knives. I can see Clove and Marvel who are already ten meters in front of me. Luckily for me, they're heading for the cornucopia, not focusing on any of the weapons or resources scattered around it. I get to the knives in no time at all but the male tribute who I think is from seven spots me and throws a spear at me. I dodge it but don't pause to pick it up, I run straight for the woods. As I'm running I turn my head to see if I can spot Madge or Rue. Rue is not far behind me running in the same direction. She sees me look at her and urges me to keep going but now all I'm trying to do is spot Madge. I spot her just as I reach the trees. She's running towards them as well, but not the same part as us. She glances over to us, and then starts to move into our direction, she gets into the trees the same time as Rue and then heads straight to us.

"We have to keep moving. They'll be fighting for a while, then whoever is left of the careers will team up and look for us."

"Maybe it wasn't such a good idea teaming up with you, you're a target." Madge laughs, I can tell she's joking, but I can see where she's coming from. Rue volunteers to take the lead. Although she doesn't say it, I know she has a background when it comes to plants due to her district's job being agriculture. Madge goes in the middle and I stay at the back so that if we're attacked from behind, we'll have some kind of defense. The amount of confidence that Madge and Rue have in me is only because I scored a twelve in my private session. I'm not really a good fighter. Being behind Madge as we hike deeper into the forest I concentrate on her bright orange backpack. The same one that Katniss had picked. It's all so surreal. For the first part of these games I didn't spend any time with Katniss. I paired up with the careers to lead them away from her. Not even Katniss knew what I was doing. In the last game, I didn't even speak to Rue; she died before Katniss found me. I'm hoping I'll avoid having to get a new leg this time.


	8. Chapter 8

"Right, we need to get to water, I'll take the lead." I say remembering how to go to the stream. I'll take them to the little cave that Katniss and I stayed in while I got better. Rue happily obliges, I give each other of them a knife and I give Madge the belt. With two backpacks and three knives we should be good for a while as long as we get to the stream before we get dehydrated. We've been hiking for about three hours in total silence. Not because we don't want to talk, but because there is nothing to talk about. Then the cannon's start to go off. Eleven cannons, just like last time.

"It's a cannon for every death right?" Madge says horrified.

"Yes." I reply tragically.

"I wonder who died, how they're families must feel." She continues to walk, looking at the ground.

"How long do we have to keep going Peeta?" Rue complains from the back.

"It's not long now, I know there's a stream around here." I say, then I realize I have already revealed too much. She just smiles and is happy for me to lead the way. It takes another hour before we reach the stream.

"Wow! You were right! How did you know?!" Madge asks,

"Instinct I guess." I try to laugh it off. "If we keep moving, downstream, I think there might be some kind of shelter we can use to keep ourselves hidden in case the careers come looking." Made and Rue both nod and off we go again. Just a couple meters downstream I find the cave that me and Katniss had stayed in. "Here we are." I smile, I let the two girls enter the cave.

"We should check for supplies." Madge says laying out all of the stuff from inside her backpack and then adding her knife to the pile. Rue does the same. I just add the knife cause that's all I have. In Madge's backpack is the same as what was in Katniss', one thin black sleeping bag, a pack of crackers, a pack of dried beef strips, a bottle of iodine, a box of wooden matches, a bit of coiler wire, night vision glasses and an empty black water bottle whereas Rue's backpack contained a slingshot, an extra pair of socks, the same thin sleeping bag, iodine, bottle of water, a bowl and more crackers and dried beef. Add the three knives to that, and we'll last a day or two.

"Right, Rue, you gather nuts, plants and roots that we can make. Madge, can you try to catch some fish? Just use the knife to spear the fish as the go past you. I would do it, but I've been told I'm too loud and I'll scare the fish away." She laughs at me, "I'll fill up the water, and try to camouflage our camp so that if the careers pass they won't look inside." We all nod and get to work. Rue skips off into the jungle with her knife.

"If I come across trouble, I'll use the mockingjay signal." She shouts after her. I get to work using the mud around the bank of the stream as glue. I gather tons of leaves, and branches, and try to cover the entrance of the cave. I leave a tiny gap so that we can enter and exit, but from the outside it looks as if the leaves were here naturally. I then grab Madge's backpack and camouflage that as well. I have no need to cover Rue's as her back pack as its already a greenish brown color. Once I'm done with that, I find some vines and try to set up a snare I remember Katniss using in the forest to catch some squirrels. I try my best to replicate the snare that Katniss had set, and I'm sure that the cameras are on me right as I do it so I make sure to at least look like I know what I'm doing. The more survival savvy I am, the more likely I am to get sponsors, and the only reason I stayed alive last time was due to Katniss' sponsors. I wonder if Katniss is watching this, if not for me for Madge. After all, Madge did volunteer for her sister. Katniss is probably watching it with Gale. I wonder if she realizes that I know a snare that is very similar to hers. Once I've set it, I go and set a few more scattered around the camp that I'll check in a few hours. As I'm setting my last one I can see Rue skipping through the branches as light as a feather.

"Wow! I didn't know you could set traps!" She smiles at me. It's like a game to Rue, until she experiences how difficult its going to be, she will only take the games halfheartedly. It's probably better for her that way though. "I got loads of things."

"Good! We can probably make a stew." I smile at her. She waits for me to finish my trap and then we both walk back to the camp where Madge has finished spearing fish. She managed to get three which isn't too bad. I go into the cave and pull out the bowl from Rue's backpack. I fill it with some water then add iodine to purify it. We wait half hour while the iodine sinks in, and eat some of the berries Rue collected. Once the iodine is done, I set up some rocks to put the stew on, and put some branches underneath it. I set fire to the twigs not worrying too much about the careers. It's starting to get dark so it'll be difficult to see the smoke from where they would be right now. I put the fire in the middle of the rocks right underneath the stew. Rue cuts up the roots and hands them too me. I throw them in with some of her nuts and berries. I wash three sticks and then skewer the fish. There is a little gap in the rocks for me to stick the fish in. This will barbeque the fish.

"How can you cook like this?" Rue asks me,

"Peeta works at the bakery back in district twelve, his family own it so he helps. Cakes and bread are his specialty." She says smirking at me. I smile graciously back at her. Then all of a sudden the male from district ten bursts out of nowhere, attacking us. Madge tells Rue to run straight into the cave. Madge gets a knife will the tribute keeps trying to jump at me. Normally I'd reason with him, but in the Hunger Games, there is no reasoning. I remember him being very skilled in hand-to-hand combat, but I also remember him having a crippled foot. He throws a few swings at me that I try to dodge. I grab his arm and twist it so that he has his back to me and then Madge stabs his chest with the knife. I let go of him as he drops to the ground. Within a couple of minutes the cannon fires.

"We need to take a walk while the hovercraft collects the body." I say in a stern voice. Madge just looks at the knife in her hands.

"What did I just do?" She says. I just push her along,

"Rue, come on!" I shout in the caves direction. She comes out of the cave as swiftly as she enters and takes one look at the body and her face completely sinks. She just follows as I continue to nudge Madge away from the body. After a couple of attempts of getting Madge to move, I give up and carry her. I turn around and pick her up in my arms. We hike for about half an hour, Madge comes to her senses after about ten minutes and asks to be put down. Rue decides to show us what nuts, roots and berries we can pick without poisoning the food. After we've all picked a reasonable amount of food we decide to head back to the cave where the food is likely to be ready.

"Did I really just kill someone Peeta?" Madge asks through tears.

"Yeah, everyone has too, you're always going to have to kill at least one person if you want to get out of these games." I try to sound as helpful as I can cause although I know she had no choice, I still feel angry with her. Rue just stays quite.

"I'll run ahead to make sure the dinner is okay, you two can keep picking berries." Madge says and then runs off.

"No its okay! We'll walk back with you!" Rue calls after her but she's already gone.

"I think she just needs some time alone to process. She's never killed someone before and I think she's over processing it a bit too much." I say again with no emotion.

"So, since you confessed you love her, has she said it back?" Rue asks with a little smirk. The whole question catches me by surprise, I'd completely forgotten about my 'love' for Madge.

"Well, she's in love with this guy in our district and I know she doesn't feel that way about me, and considering I'm most likely to die in this arena anyway, I guess I'm willing to protect her so she has a chance to go home." It feels weird saying that about someone else, even if I don't mean it.

"Awwwh!" she says skipping off ahead and back to the cave. Then I see a parachute on its way in. It lands a few feet away from me. I pick it up and read the note attached. It reads:

Your meant to be in love with Madge. Act a little more compassionate for your sponsors! You've already got loads! – H.

I laugh a little out loud and then rip up the little note and throw it in to the water. There is quite a big bag attached to it. Inside is some cakes. It takes me awhile to realize they're the same cakes that I bake and decorate. I smile at them as they remind me of my family. I walk back with the cakes in hand. Madge has tears down her face when I get there. Rue is playing in the stream. I go and sit down by Madge.

"Foods ready." She says.

"Listen Madge, you've got to toughen up. No one will sponsor you if they see you cry over every death."

"It's not every death, it's just, I killed him."

"Did you really think you weren't going to kill someone?"

"I was expecting to die before I had to kill someone." She leans her head on my shoulder and I put my arms around her. I hope this is what Haymitch means. We stay like this for a while but then I get up to get some food. It's starting to get dark, so I know that soon the careers will be out hunting. Rue comes in from the water and sits down and eats with me while Madge stays away from us. I see Rue yawn while she eats.

"Have one." I hand her a cake. "I got them in a parachute; I think they're from my bakery." She smiles.

"Are you sure? I've never had a whole cake to myself before. I don't think I've ever had a cake before." I shove the cake in her hands. She blushes and takes a bite into the cake. Her face immediately lights up. "This is amazing." She says. Tonight, you and Madge can sleep, and I'll keep watch. She smiles. Madge decides to come and eat some fish. We all head into the cave, Rue and Madge get into the sleeping bags.

"You guys might want to huddle together. It tends to get **very** cold in the nights." They don't argue, and bring they're sleeping bags right next to each other. The darker it gets the more expectant I am of a new cannon. I sneak through the exit of the cave and sit outside. I've been sat for about three hours when I hear the cannon. That will be the girl from district eight that I finished off last time. Within the next hour the faces of the dead appear in the sky. The girl from three, the boy from four and five, and both from six, seven, eight, nine and ten all appear in the sky. Madge then wakes up.

"Peeta?" I hear her calling from inside the cave. I make my way back into the cave.

"Yes?" I smile at her.

"Thank you." She says, pulling me close.

"What for?"

"Being here for me, I'd be dead right now if it weren't for you." I try to ask how but before I can she kisses me. I try to look like I enjoy the kiss even though the only person going through my mind while she kisses me is Katniss. She puts her hand through my hair as I caress her face. Once we break free from the kiss, she speaks. "I'll keep watch now, you can sleep." She smiles and decides to sit by the opening in the cave. I decide to wiggle into her sleeping bag next to Rue and I drift off immediately.


	9. Chapter 9

My dreams are full of my previous experiences with the games. Nightmares of tracker-jackers and mutts consume me as I try to sleep in the cave. When I wake up the cave is empty. I can hear Madge and Rue talking outside, about me actually. I stay inside trying to stay as still as possible. I can guaranty that the cameras are on us right now unless there's fight going on so I hope Madge doesn't accidentally say something that will blow my cover. I strain my hearing to listen to what they're saying.

"So, who's the guy that you like back in your district?" I hear Rue's slight voice.

"I can't say that, it'll be broadcast on television, I don't really want him to know."

"You said yourself you don't think you're going to survive this, and to be honest, I don't think I will either. I'm willing to do to whatever it takes to survive, especially if it means an adventure, but the odds of me winning a fight aren't in my favor." She smiles. "But if you do die in here, he'll never know how you truly feel about him."

"That's a good way of viewing it. I hope he's not watching…. His names Gale." Just from the tone of her voice you could swear she blushes as she says this.

"What's he like?" Rue presses.

"He's funny. He used to tease me a lot, back in our district. I'm the mayors daughter, and although I can't help being better off than him, I don't blame him for the little snide remarks even if he doesn't really mean them some times. He's gorgeous but I think he has his eyes set on someone else."

"And who would that be?"

"Although most people back in district twelve probably know who I'm talking about without me even mentioning her, I don't want to name her, in case she hasn't realized it yet."

"What about Peeta?"

"What about him?" She says. This hurts me a little; she did kiss me last night after all. Her first move.

"How are things with him? He likes you after all."

"He's starting to grow on me if I'm honest. I woke up last night while he was keeping watch, and I kissed him. But I regretted it soon after, because my feelings are mixed and I'm afraid he'll assume we're something because of the kiss." I smirk purely for the camera. I then put my hand over my mouth and laugh silently. I then cough from inside the cave loud enough for them to hear me and then make my way out.

"Hey Madge, thanks for taking over the watch last night." I smile at her and then go to eat some of the left over stew. Both of them go silent. "Am I interrupting something?" I say with a coy smile. I try to play up the crowd as much as I can. Haymitch and Katniss always used to tell me how I can work a crowd extremely well and always have them exactly where I want them, so I guess it's time to put that to the test.

"No, we were just talking about strategies." Madge replies with blush in her cheeks.

"Then why are you blushing?" I laugh back.

"Oh, I don't know. Maybe it's the sight of you." She says with a slightly harsher tone to her voice. I just roll my eyes and go back to eating some new food.

"I completely forgot to check my traps! Would you two come with me to check them? I can give the animals to you while I try to reset them." They both nod. We pack all our stuff up and cover the entrance to the cave. On our way we go. I reach the first trap quite quickly and discover a rat hanging from the ropes. I pull it out and hand it to Madge who simply puts it in Rue's backpack.

"What was that?" Madge asks.

"What was what?" Rue replies.

"I just heard like a guy's laugh. What if the careers are here?" She speaks too soon as we are suddenly surrounded by Glimmer, Marvel, Clove, Cato and the girl from four.

"Now that's unfair guys, we're outnumbered." I try to sound as teasing as I can. Marvel's carrying a spear, Glimmer a bow and a sheath of arrows which are meant to be Katniss', Cato's carrying the sword that he used to slice my leg last time. Clove is carrying a knife in each hand and probably has tons more on a belt underneath her jacket which leaves the girl from district four holding a mace. Madge, Rue and I really don't stand a chance.

"Well we thought, with you scoring a twelve and all, you'd be able to take us all on." Clove says in a cocky tone. While I'd been concentrating on the careers, Rue had managed to sneak away from the middle of the group and up a tree only five meters away from where she was standing. I don't think the careers even care because she is so small. As I stand staring at Cato who's just laughing at me Madge puts her hand through mine. I reach for my knife but then realize that all three of ours were in Rue's backpack along with the dead rat. Madge and I are completely defenseless.

"I think we'll kill the girl first. So you can watch her die. Cute little lover boy trying to protect the girl who doesn't even love him back… I pity you more than anything." Cato says drawing his sword. While he takes his stance ready to thrust his sword into Madge's stomach something hits the girl from four causing her to fall to the floor. She falls to her back and then I notice that it's a knife that's hit her stomach, one of the three knives I managed to pick up from the cornucopia. Another two are thrown, one misses everyone but the other lands in Marvels shoulder. While Cato is distracted I grab the blade of his sword and then kick the point at her his hand is holding it causing it to fly into the air. This causes a massive gash in the palm of my hand but I try not to think about it. Clove watches this but then doesn't hesitate to throw a knife towards me, which Madge dives in front of. Glimmer tries to shoot an arrow at Rue in the trees but is hopeless with the bow compared to Katniss. Katniss is probably sat in her house laughing at Glimmer as she continues to try and shoot at Rue. Marvel gets up and starts to run back from the way he came with Cato, Clove and Glimmer following. Clove laughs teasingly as she turns leaving us. I drop to Madge straight away. The knife has pierced right underneath Madge's ribcage. I start to realize how Katniss must've felt as she saw Rue die with a spear in her stomach.

"What did you do that for?" I try to make my voice sound like a joke. Rue jumps out of the tree. "Rue, I'd like you to collect every weapon on the ground that you can find." But before Rue even acknowledged what I have said she runs to Madge. Rue's eyes immediately start to water.

"What happened?" Rue asks, struggling through sobs.

"I jumped in front of a knife that Clove had thrown." Madge manages to get out.

"Why did you do that?"

"She had thrown it at Peeta." Rue sits back looking at me. I nurse Madge's head on my lap. "Stay with me, until I die I mean." She looks at me.

"I'm not going anywhere."

"This isn't how I imagined it would happen. But I'm glad I confessed about Gale." She looks at Rue. Madge then closes her eyes. A tear escapes my eye. I hear a cough come from opposite me and realize that the girl from four isn't dead yet. Rue hugs Madge while I finish the girl from four. I throw the mace at her head and then look away. Two cannons go off. A sob escapes Rue's throat.

"I won't be able to do this again. The alliance is off." She says through tears. She starts to make her away from me.

"Wait." I say. She turns around. "How about we try to get rid of the careers supplies? Once we've done that, we can go our separate ways?" She nods. We spend the next two or three days keeping quite trying to figure out a way to get rid of the supplies from the cornucopia which is where the careers camp is. One cannon goes off in the period of a week. Marvel eventually died, from blood poisoning I think. I doubt anyone will have sponsored district one. I have been getting a reasonable amount of parachutes of Haymitch. Supplies and Medicine mostly. One of the little notes that came with one of the parachutes read:

Sorry for not many gifts, you don't need much and I'm saving it up for something big in case you need it – H.

When he sent that I immediately shouted afterwards out afterwards.

"Haymitch! Give me a weapon! One you know I'll be good at using! And maybe one for Rue as well if her mentor doesn't send her one soon! We can't survive with three knives!" Rue giggled when I shouted into the air like that. I decided to use the medicine he sent me to try and make sure my hand doesn't get infected. Once the games had gotten to day twelve we'd come up with a plan that seemed like it could work pretty well. I mentioned many times while we were discussing the plan that something that I could load with burning wood and then shoot at something would be good. "So, the plan is. I'll shout at the careers from in the trees away from where you're standing. I'll walk out into the open weaponless to make sure they see me and then run back into the forest. I'll run as fast as I can to where you are, and we'll then set fire to the supplies." We know all the supplies are gathered together due to Rue spying.

"But if the parachute comes in time, we'll just shoot at the pile of supplies and then run in the other direction to where you had just come from." We both nod. We wait two more days. On day thirteen, as I predicted, two parachutes come. A crossbow that comes with arrows that are flammable and a spear with two different spear heads. I let Rue choose which weapon she would like. She chooses crossbow. "It'll save time if I'm ready to shoot this by the time you get here. We'll have three goes, if I suck on the first one, you can have the second one." Rue smiles. I give her a hug. I know for a fact her fate will be different in these games, purely because Marvel is dead now and she died at his hand last time. We put all our weapons concealed inside the cave and decide to eat. We manage to make little small talk. When it starts to get dark an announcement is made. I immediately pull Rue close and tell her the whole story. I tell her about Katniss, my previous games. I don't tell her about her death though. After the announcement it shows there are no new deaths. She just looks at me.

"Okay, I completely trust you now." Is all she says which makes me wonder, did she not trust me before? All I heard in the announcement was congratulations for making it to the final seven.

"Alright its time for you to sleep! We're blowing up supplies tomorrow, you'll need rest!"

"I can easily climb up trees if someone catches up to me. You have the amount of skill to climb up a tree as a horse. You sleep." I look at her a little insulted. I just pick her up and shove her in the cave. "Oi! No fair, your stronger than me!" She nestles into her sleeping bag and drifts off to sleep. I don't think the careers would dare to come and look for us after the recent events. I sit just outside the cave keeping watch for most of the night. Half way through the night I start to realize I haven't mentioned Madge since she died. The emotions start to flood my mind. Anger, sadness, frustration. Then a parachute comes in. I open the little box to find some burnt bread. I look at it with confusion. The note with it says –

Katniss sent it. – H.


	10. Chapter 10

I smile at the note. I look up to the sky and whisper;

"Thank you Katniss." I say picking the pieces of the bread that isn't burnt. After I've eaten some of the bread I decide to have some sleep otherwise I won't be at my best tomorrow when we blow up the food. I climb into the cave sealing the entrance as best I can and snuggle into my sleeping bag. When I wake up Rue has already gotten up and is eating some crackers. I think she hears me get up because she asks me a question.

"Are you ready to go on our adventure?" She smiles. I nod and start to pack up the stuff. It's safe to say that neither of us will spend another day in this cave. Once we've both packed up everything we need we start to split our food in half so we both have the same amount of food to eat. We hike to our designated spot. Its quite muddy but you can see the careers perfectly from the spot. I set my spear down next to Rue.

"You'll be able to see when I get to the careers camp and make myself known, so once they've been out of sight for about five minutes shoot. Just shoot as much as you can. I won't have time to stop and shoot if you miss so just try your best." She hugs me.

"You've been a good ally. You remind me of one of my brothers." She whispers into my ear. I smile at her and then make my way to a different edge of the clearing. I manage to get there in about ten minutes creating a steady pace. When I get to the point I take a moment to steady myself before I walk into the careers camp.

Chapter six

"Hey! How've you all been?" I smile at them.

"I knew you'd come begging to team up with one of us after that announcement last night." Glimmer laughs.

"What announcement?" I ask confused.

"There can be two victors as long as they're the same age." I think back to the announcement and realize I talked right the way through it not even bothering to remember if they said anything important.

"Too bad lover boy. There's no one left in the games that's your age. Your little girlfriend was the last one who was your age, and whoops, I killed her." Clove mocks me. I throw the spear which Cato catches and looks at me expectantly.

"If spear throwing was how you got your twelve then you should be very disappointed with that."

"It's not actually." I snap. Cato cocks his head slightly to the side and then starts to run towards me. Glimmer and Clove follow his lead and start to run towards me as well. I start to run for the forest. I make sure they continue to follow me into the woods.

"Clove! You run as fast as you can! We'll try to keep up." Cato shouts. I glance back to find that Clove is very close to me and is rapidly catching up. I start to sprint as fast as I can away from the district two tribute. I can see the cornucopia through the opening of the trees and see that one flaming arrow has been shot at it so far. I glance back at Clove to see that she hasn't progressed any further towards me but I notice that she isn't wearing her belt full of knives so all she has if the one knife in her hand. I recognize my surroundings and realize just how close I am to where Rue is sat. I decide to stall and give her some time and turn around the face Clove. She throws the knife at me which I dive out of the way to dodge. It manages to catch my thigh but doesn't lodge itself in, just creating a wound that will need stitches. I grab my leg. She laughs at me.

"You really are pathetic." She amuses.

"If I'm so pathetic, how come I managed to score, wait, two points higher than you in the training session?" I laugh at her. She backhands my face. My eye and cheek will swell up soon after her hard blow. I look to the sudden light coming from the opening in the trees. "And anyway, you don't have anyone to team up with either. There's no one left that is your age." I look at her.

"Yes there is. The girl from district five."

"And you really think she'd team up with you?" I look her up and down.

"She's smart and she wants to stay alive, the odds of her making it out of these games increases by a big amount if she teams up with me." She laughs.

"That's if you can find new supplies and knives, cause all the supplies down by the cornucopia are being burnt." I say with a shrug off my shoulders. She turns her attention to the now burning cornucopia. She just snarls at me and picks up her knife. Due to my now bleeding leg I can't move much but I trip her up so that we've swapped places. I'm not at a disadvantage because if Cato and Glimmer catch up I won't be able to see if they're behind me or not. Clove gets back up and slowly walks toward me with a cocky smile. Then she looks up over my head.

"Oh, it's a little girl to your recue." She says to me and throws the knife at what I think is Rue behind me. I turn back to see Rue on the ground with a knife in her chest. Some medicine and a bandage was in her hand and as she falls to the floor she sort of throws it in my direction. I quickly grab it and attend to my leg. I get up and pluck the knife from Rue's chest. I kiss her forehead makes her mumble something and then off goes the cannon. Only five more people standing in the way of me leaving these games. As I'm about to run out with the knife and leave Clove, Thresh shows up.

"Who killed that little girl?" I drop my knife immediately. "Was it you?!" He looks at me.

"No it wasn't I swear. Rue was my ally. Clove killed her." Just as I say that Cato turns up with Glimmer. They both look at Thresh and then neither of them bother to make sly remarks. He takes Clove and lifts her up by the neck. She gasps for air and claws at his hand. I don't even watch what happens next.

"Why'd you kill her?" He asks her.

"I can't breathe."

"Why'd you kill her?!"

"That's what you do in the games if you want to win."

"Then you just made a mistake." He says and then snaps her neck and the cannon sounds almost immediately. I then hear Cato cough. "No. I won't team up with you." He stares at Cato, and then at me he nods for me to walk past him and off into the distance which I do. I hear some shouting and fighting in the background as I turn and make a run for it but I don't look back. I pick up Rue's backpack and cross bow and continue to move. I manage to move further into the forest and loop round without seeing any of the other tributes. I don't go back to the lake, but I go to the tree that the careers tributes and I had trapped her up. The tracker-jacker nest is still there, so I only sit her to rest my leg for a moment. I decide to gather some berries. I wonder if Foxface is following me. I decide to gather nightlock berries. I gather some berries which I think or nightlock and put them by my bag at the tree and then go to gather some more in the opposite direction to where I had just searched. This time I gather some berries which are edible but look very similar. I eat them in plain sight and then go off to collect more. I then hear the cannon marking another fallen tribute. I look around to make sure there's no one around and then make my way back to my back pack. A few feet away from where the berries were set is Foxface. She's completely motionless as she lies in the midst of the grass and mud. I try to look as surprised as I can and completely shove all the berries I had collected into the grass by Foxface and start to hike in the other direction. It's starting to get darker now. This means that today will be my last day in the arena. It shouldn't be dark yet, it should still be midafternoon. I decide to make my way to the cornucopia before the mutts decide to attack me anyway. I only got away from them the first time thanks to Katniss. I go as quickly towards the cornucopia as I can before it gets too dark. I reach the edge of the woods before the clearing and I can't see Glimmer or Cato so I decide to go ahead and walk to the cornucopia. I make sure my cross bow is ready to fire in case someone decides to jump me. I then hear a growl. I stop dead still in the middle of the opening. I look around slowly and see the pair of eyes staring at me from in the midst of the trees. They're human so I can't tell if they belong to a mutt or any of the other three remaining tributes. I decide not to take my chances and sprint to the cornucopia. I throw my stuff up onto the cornucopia and then just manage to climb up by myself. When I turn around I see it was a mutt. I hope the remaining tributes get killed by the mutts rather than by me. I see Glimmer and Cato running to the cornucopia together, hand in hand. The mutts right behind them. Any other person would have shot them by now but I really don't want to kill anyone. So far the only person I've killed in these games would be Foxface. They make the cornucopia and help each other get up.

"I don't see why you two are so fond of each other, both of you won't be able to make it home."

"Glimmer's birthday was yesterday." Cato says. I laugh. He jumps for me. I manage to drop my crossbow when Cato tackles me onto my back. I manage to elbow him off me and then kick him back. I then see Thresh running towards the cornucopia. He's carrying two medium sized rocks. He throws one that hits the cornucopia but then the next one he throws hits Glimmer and she falls to the ground where the mutts tear her apart. They then move on to Thresh. They take a couple of minutes to tear out his throat so we can't hear his screams now. The cannon sounds for Glimmer and then another one shortly after for Thresh. Now it's between Cato and me. He lunges at me again but I dodge. He throws a punch which lands on my jaw. He lunges at me again which I dodge but this time he just falls on his front with his head hanging of the edge of the cornucopia with the mutts straining trying to reach him. I lean over him. He tries to push me off but it just ends in his hand reaching the mutts. They take a big chunk out of his forearm. He groans in pain. I just push him off the edge; I know there's no way I'm going to walk out of these games otherwise. He slides down slowly before the mutts all pounce on him. They slowly rip him apart. I would shoot at him to put him out of his misery but my aim is rubbish. It takes two hours before the cannon sounds for the final time of these hunger games. I just sit down in relief. I check myself for injuries. My lip was split when Cato punched me and my cheek has swelled from Cloves hit. It gets lighter and lighter and then the hovercraft appears. The ladder drops down and it freezes me as I put my hands on it.


	11. Chapter 11

Next thing I know I'm in this white room. This woman walks up to me. I look at her strangely. She gives me some ice. I just stare at the ice.

"It's for your face." She says with a smile. She has the same look as everyone else in the capitol. I sit with the ice placed against my cheek which hurts more than my lip. After this I'll be taken to get cleaned up, I'll then have my interview with Caesar. I'll then be on the train back to district twelve with Haymitch where Katniss is. I'll do my victory tour and then I'll have to either be part of the quarter quell or mentor the tribute involved. I sit down for what seems to be forever when I notice Effie and Haymitch making their way towards me. I stand up to greet them. Effie automatically congratulates me and hugs me. Haymitch shows a wary smile.

"Well done." He says and they lead me to my prep team. Kitty, Marco and Sparks, who are all happy to see me.

"Oh my! You're covered in dirt and your face is full of cuts. They didn't attend to your leg either!" She says pointing at the bandage covering my leg. I take the bandage off and realize it's healed. Must've been the medicine Rue gave me. They bath me in loads of different kinds of oils and lotions as usual. They trim my hair and pluck my eye brows. Once they're done with me in the remake center Effie rushes me to Pearl who has designed me a suit.

"What time is it?" I ask her.

"The time? It's four o'clock, why?"

"I was wondering when I'd be doing my interview."

"Well because you're not damaged in anyway apart swelling on your face, there's no need to postpone the interview. So you'll be on stage with Caesar tomorrow night. They let you have a little rest." She smiles.

"What did you think of me in there?"

"You were amazing." She smiles.

"I mean, if you didn't know me. If you were sat in say district five, and you were watching." I sit down on a chair.

"Well, you were smart. Everyone could tell that you didn't want to kill anyone really. I and countless others admired you for taking care of Madge and Rue. The way you played the whole thing was very smart." I shiver when she says Rue and Madge's names. Then the images of Thresh, Glimmer and Cato being ripped apart spring to mind. "Just try not to think of your times in the arena, it won't be as painful for you then." I try to agree with her but I don't understand how she can expect not to think about it when all I'm going to hear about is my time in the games over the next couple of months. Once I try on my suit, I head to district twelve's floor with Effie, Haymitch and Pearl. I won't ever see Madge's stylist ever again. I wonder how Mayor Undersee is feeling. Or Katniss and Gale who weren't friends of hers but were at her acquaintance. Or her ill mother who can barely be in the sunlight without getting another migraine. We go to the sitting room and Effie turns on the television while talking about something. I don't bother to pay attention to what she is saying because I already know what is going to happen anyway. There are highlights on about the games which I can't bare myself to watch.

"Would you like to come up to the roof with me Peeta?" Haymitch asks. I nod. We make our way up the steps and onto the roof. I wonder if the force field is still up now that I have won the games. "How are you feeling?" Haymitch tries to keep the tone in his voice above miserable.

"Strange. This feels like the first time I've properly taken part in the hunger games, does that make sense?"

"No, what do you mean?"

"Well, the first two games that I was part of, I was with Katniss who was kind of the focus. Both times I was playing to protect her. This was the first games that my only goal was to get out alive."

"You better get some rest; you have a 'big big day' tomorrow." He imitates Effie's voice. I laugh a little at his impression. My laugh sounds weird. I make my way back down to my room passing what used to be Katniss and Madge's room. The whole room is completely bare again. The bed has been stripped of its sheets because everyone knows that it won't be used for another year. I manage to get an hour of sleep in which is unusual. Just the same dreams of the hunger games or of Katniss. The prep team leave me lay in as I don't need the same requirements a girl would need to get ready. I decide to get up at half twelve. I help myself to some cheese buns. Haymitch then walks in. "Nice buns." He says grabbing some.

"Katniss' favorite." I reply automatically. He chuckles slightly.

"I don't need to go over any interview strategies now do I?" He smiles. I laugh again.

"No, I'm pretty good with crowds remember?" I ask sarcastically.

"You did well." He says while pouring some clear liquid into his cup. Must be some kind of liquor. I go into the sitting room and turn on the TV. When I turn on I hear Caesar's voice and a clip of district twelve celebrating.

"The reaction of the home district of when a tribute becomes a victor is always so moving isn't it Claudius."

"Of course." I scan the crowds in district twelve for either my family or Katniss. I spot my father. I also spot Mayor Undersee who seems pained but pleased. I guess he was hoping that it would be Madge that everyone would be celebrating about. Then I see Primrose Everdeen on Gale's shoulders with Katniss and they're mother beside him. There are two smaller boys and a woman holding a child the other side of him which must be his family. I concentrate on Katniss' reaction as they replay the clip. Katniss looks anxious at first as does everyone. Then as everyone reacts to when Cato falls off the cornucopia she turns to her mother with a big smile on her face and starts hugging her. This makes me smile. That would be the first time I've seen her smile since all this has happened. I switch the screen off and just sit for about three hours doing nothing. Effie walks in asking me to go to Pearl to get ready. The interview is in two hours so I have to make sure I'm ready. When I get to Pearl she has my suit out ready for me. I try it on again. This time I look in the mirror to see what it looks like on me. The fine cut black suit looks charming and mysterious but doesn't match my personality. I don't complain though. She then sits me down and combs through my hair. She dabs a little bit of makeup under my eyes so that my black eye isn't noticeable and I don't look so sleep deprived. She also powders just under my lip and puts something else on my lip that blends the split so that that isn't noticeable either. I'm then rushed to underneath the stage where I wait for about half hour going through things that I already know are going to happen. Haymitch and Effie wish me luck and then all of a sudden I'm on stage. Caesar welcomes me.

"Peeta my old friend!" He shouts and pats the seat next to him. I smile at him and take my seat. "Much has changed since we last met as I'm well aware of."

"But I still smell of roses Caesar." This gets a laugh from both him and the audience.

"So, congratulations on winning the '74th annual Hunger Games.'"

"Thank you."

"Let's take a look at some of the highlights of this year's games." He smiles and gestures to the screen behind us. I turn back to see what bits they picked. The camera slowly enters the arena from a tributes point of view then it zooms in of the contact Madge and I made before the bloodbath. It covers Rue running after me as we run into the woods and then Madge meeting up with us. The coverage swaps between Madge, Rue and I, the career pack and then occasionally the other tributes if interesting things happen to them. I never realized that Foxface literally spied on me all the time while in the arena. They show Madge killing the male tribute from ten and me comforting her. They show the kiss which was one of the things I wish they hadn't showed if I ever want to convince Katniss of anything after the games. The crowd gasps at the kiss. They then jump to when we're surrounded by the careers. Madge's death, mine and Rue's plan, me luring the careers out of the cornucopia, Clove killing Rue, Thresh killing Clove, me killing Foxface and then the big finale. Caesar turns to me. "That has to be one of the most exciting games yet. I must say that your romance with your fellow district twelve tribute touched not just mine, but the whole of Panem's hearts. Would you like to tell us about it?"

"Well you see Caesar, back in district twelve, I'd spoken to Madge a few times, and I adored her. Most of the appeal was due to the fact she was the Mayor's daughter. I got to know her a lot better in the arena so at least I got to know her before she died."

"Will you ever be able to move on?"

"I'm sure I will after all, I'm only sixteen." I smile. The interview goes on for a while asking me about how I felt at different situations.

"What about killing people? It's no secret that that wasn't really your forte."

"When Madge killed that boy from district ten, she thought too much about it. I know I never showed it, but I did the same thing. If death is at my hands I start to think how they're families must hate me. So I'd rather leave someone else do the killing which is why I only really killed one person intentionally which was Cato in the end."

"Oh yes, cause you killed Finch as well didn't you." Who's Finch? I scan through all the tributes and I can't put a face to the name. Then it hits me, I only killed two people in the arena, Foxface and Cato which means Finch is Foxface's real name.

"Yeah, but I didn't mean too. She was very smart. And if I hadn't thought that those berries were edible, she wouldn't have eaten them."

"That's very true. Peeta it's been lovely to watch you in the games. Good luck! Ladies and Gentleman our newest victor from district twelve, Peeta Mellark!" The crowd claps and some people whistle and cheer for me as I make my way off the stage. I'm rushed to get changed and then onto the train back to district twelve.


	12. Chapter 12

oh my god guys i'm so sorry i haven't updated in so so long! i've had such a bad writers block its unreal! hopefully this is good, i've re-written this about ten different times. so sorry!

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The train ride back to district 12 drags on longer than i'd like. I sit with Haymitch in silence while Effie is nowhere to be seen. There is a crowd waiting for me once I arrive back in district 12. My heart leaps as I spot Katniss and Primrose Everdeen among the crowd along with my family.

My two brothers Adrienne and Christian are both jumping up and down with two massive grins on their faces. I'm sure they never thought I'd survive the Hunger games. I give my mum a forced hug, my father a handshake while my two brothers practically tackle me. There are a couple of reporters, from the Capitol no doubt who all have cameras and notepads, ready to write everything down. I roll my eyes, and walk over to Katniss. I pull her close, because i've missed her, even though she had no idea as to what whats going on.

"Thanks for the bread." I whisper in her ear, and I give her a warm smile as I pull away from her and go back to answer any questions that are aimed towards me.

"So Peeta, no that you've won the Hunger Games, what are you going to do?"

"Well, it seems i'll have a lot of free time on my hands. Bake probably." I laugh at my insufficient answer, but luckily the next reporter asks another question.

"How will you survive without Madge?" This silences the crowd. I hesitate, unsure how to answer this. Especially with Katniss so close.

"I'm sixteen years old. I'm sure i'll get over it, as most victors get over their time in the hunger games right?" I continue answering the questions as best to my ability. Once I'm finished I decide to walk to my new victor house, but Katniss catches up to me.

"Peeta..." She trails off. I look at her, and notice how different... no... how young and happy she is. It dawns on me, that this is probably a better time for her. What if telling her the truth is a bad idea... I cringe at the thought of not being able to be with Katniss, but her happiness is always of greater import than mine. I'll have to talk this through with Haymitch.

"Is everything okay Katniss?" She looks startled as I say her name.

"You umm, did well in the arena. I'm sorry about Madge." My heart drops, then I have an idea.

"You hunt don't you Katniss?" I lower my voice, in case anyone else hears. She looks alarmed. "Well if you do, I'd love to go with you sometime." She looks even more surprised.

"Why would you want to do that?"

"Because I want to. When would you like to? I have a lot of free time now, you see." I smile at her. She was never like this when I was with her. Not carefree per say, but she seems more relaxed.

"Well, I don't know about hunting right now, but we could go into the forrest and talk?" I nod and we walk to the fence and I automatically search for one of the wholes.

"Found one," I call to her, quite quietly but loud enough for her to here. I noticed her confused expression.

"Have you done this before?" She asks as she climbs through, I laugh, and nod nervously, dismissing her question. She takes me down to the lake her father had taught her to swim in. I smile at the familiarity, and she obviously feels like she can trust me, otherwise she wouldn't have brought me here. We talk, not about any of the pressing matters, but we talk. We talk until its dark, mostly about the hunger games. I walk her to her house.

"Oh by the way, if you ever need any bread, or any other food for that matter. Just ask." She looks me in the eyes, and smiles before nodding and turning into her house. I see buttercup hiss at Katniss as she walks past and turn away before the grumpy cat spots me.


	13. Chapter 13

The rest of the year went pretty uneventful. About six months later, Haymitch, Effie, Pearl and my prep team all visit me to prepare me for my Victory tour. The meeting with Effie went really quick, I had already decided on what my talent would be, painting. We were already on our journey to district eleven, by Haymitch's request ahead of schedule.

"So, now what?" I ask as we at the back of the train.

"We need to discover a way to get things back to the way they were. Do you still have the device?"

"It's in my bag."

"When we get to district three, we'll do some digging, see if we can figure out a way to reverse it."

"Haymitch, if we go back to the way everything was, Katniss dies, along with a lot of other people."

"Would you rather the continuation of the Hunger Games?" He snaps.

"I guess, I'll just have to start my own rebellion."

"And how are you going to do that genius?"

"I'll think of something Haymitch." and with that Haymitch leaves me to sit and think. Once we arrive at district 11, I am immediately reminded of my first tour, and its strange to think how long ago that was. The high watchtowers still stood tall, with the security as tight as it was last time. I notice Rue's huge family, and Thresh's small family in the stands and a pang of guilt washes over me. I know exactly how i'm going to start this rebellion.

"I'd firstly like to say, that I'm deeply sorry, to both of my fellow tribute's families, for your losses and that I really wish the Hunger Games wasn't just a kill or be killed games." I then turn to Thresh's grandmother and sister, "He was very strong, and I always admired his refusal to form an alliance with Cato and the others, he saved my life in the games, so thankyou." I then turn to face Rue's huge family, "You raised an amazing young girl, who reminds me of someone back from my home district. She was a very kind hearted girl and i'm glad I got to know her. Without her I probably wouldn't have survived. So thankyou, to your district, and to show how grateful I am, I'd like to give you a portion of my winnings, which you will receive every year for the rest of your lives. I know this will never cover the loss you have gone through, but I hope to make the pain a little easier for you. Thank you." I then press my three middle fingers to my lips, and then thrust my hand up into the air. The audience repeat the action back to me before I am rushed back into the Justice Building as the same old man whistles the four note tune Rue and I had used in the arena. I already knew he would be killed for this and I close my eyes in regret as I hear the gunshot. As I turn back to my allocated room, I notice Haymitch standing with a huge grin on his face.

"That was handled beautifully Peeta." He claps.

Most of the other districts go by without a hitch due to the fact the capitol have provided me with a speech instead of letting me personalize my own. We stop breifly in district three for a day after the speech, so Haymitch can find out more about Gale's device.

"It's a reality merger. The workers in the factory were very surprised to see one already made, considering they are only now starting to develop it."

"What does it do?"

"It changes the reality for you, it goes into your mind and guesses what you'd want to use it for. I don't think they'd finished making it when Gale took it." A chuckle quietly to myself. Perfect. We then travel to district two and as I walk on stage I notice Cato and Clove's families angered expressions. The crowd cheers in anger rather than congratulations as I start to make my speech. I love Cato's family in the eye, as they stare into me. If looks could kill, I would be dead on the floor by now. I add a small addition to the end of my speech quickly before the officials can kick me off the stage.

"I also think it is a little unfair how angry you are at me, when you all would be extremely happy if your son or daughter had killed me in the games. It shows immorality, and it also shows how twisted some districts are the closer to the capitol you get." I shrug, bow and walk off quickly before the officials can say anything.

On the way to district one, I watch the replay and notice all the confused and shocked expressions on everyone's faces as I exit the stage and smirk in amusement.

"You really aren't holding anything back this year, are you kid?"

"What have I got to lose?" And with that Haymitch shrugs and leaves me alone. I decide not to add any personal notes to the district one speech, in case I take it to far and just wait until I get to the Capitol.

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I know this one isn't as excited as I'd hoped, but i've been having trouble with Peeta's character ah


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